By Louisa Loveluck in Cairo 23 Aug 2013
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood failed to rally large numbers of protesters onto the streets on Friday, in a sign that the military may have successfully quelled nationwide unrest that has left more than a thousand people dead in nine days.
Egyptian army soldiers in armored vehicles block Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt Photo: MANU BRABO/AP
Twenty-eight separate marches had been scheduled across Cairo, but many were cancelled after security forces sent the city centre into lockdown. Tahrir Square was blocked to traffic, and a row of military armoured personnel carriers lined up alongside the Egyptian Museum entrance to the square.
Supporters of Egypt first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, have been rallying in support of their leader since a July 3rd military takeover. But their protests and sit-ins have met with a forceful response from the Egyptian security services, leading to the bloodiest nine days in the country's modern history.
Twenty-eight separate marches had been scheduled across Cairo, but many were cancelled after security forces sent the city centre into lockdown.
Tahrir Square was blocked to traffic, and a row of armoured military personnel carriers lined up alongside the Egyptian museum entrance to the square.
In a change from previous weeks, few carried pictures of the ousted president. Instead, crowds marched with posters depicting a black hand, a symbol of solidarity with the hundreds of Morsi supporters who were killed when the security services forcibly dispersed their protest encampments.
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They aimed their anger at General Abdulfattah al-Sisi, the defence minister who is seen as the country's current leader.
"General Sisi is telling me that I have to lay down my electoral card and vote for democracy by taking a bullet in my body," said Mohamed al-Nazer, as he joined marchers in Cairo's Mohandiseen district. "But I am here to support electoral legitimacy, not the right of the army to take over by force." The release on bail this week of former president Hosni Mubarak made less of an impact than it would have done a year ago. Some demonstrators said that in light of this month's events he had become irrelevant to the political process.
Although the relative calm suggests that the military have succeeded in quelling unrest for the time being, there were signs that discontent at the crackdown now extends beyond Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
"Being against the coup does not have to be the same as supporting Morsi." said one young engineering student. "I am here to send a message to the army. They have killed seven of my friends in the past week."
His fellow student, Sherif Ahmed, agreed. "I was against Morsi for many reasons, but what we see now is wrong. This is not about Morsi anymore, this is about electoral legitimacy and standing up for our right to live. That is why we fought a revolution."
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood fails to mobilise street protesters - Telegraph
